The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Vehicle control systems typically include a control module with various sensor inputs. The sensor inputs receive signals from sensors on a vehicle. The sensors may include, for example, drivetrain sensors, vehicle guidance sensors, collision sensors, etc. The sensor inputs may include time-based, discrete, and analog inputs. An example of a time-based sensor input is an input that receives a pulse width modulated signal. An example of a discrete input is an input that receives an ON/OFF or HIGH/LOW type signal. An example of an analog input is an input that receives an analog signal that indicates a change in voltage or resistance.
The number of sensors on a vehicle is ever increasing. For this reason the required number of input pins on a control module is increasing. Also, when a control module is manufactured the total number of required sensors may be unknown for a specific implementation. In addition, the types of many of the sensor inputs may also be unknown. Furthermore, instances occur after the manufacture of a control module is finished in which sensor input requirements have changed and design updates are needed. Thus, different and/or additional sensor inputs may be needed to accommodate for other sensors than originally intended. These updates can result in less optimized solutions, costly design changes, delays in production of the control module, or differences in implementations of features.
Moreover, instances arise when the manufacturer of a sensor is changed. Different manufacturers may produce similar sensors, but that have different characteristics. For example, with respect to a discrete sensor, a sensor may require pull-up control, as opposed to pull-down control. As another example, a sensor of a manufacturer may require a different type or level of filtering than a similar sensor produced by a different manufacturer.